In this lesson plan students create original short stories that feature distinctive weather phenomena such as rainbows, snowstorms, tornadoes, thunder, and lightning. Teachers ask students to list interesting weather events, read aloud a few examples of stories that incorporate weather phenomena, and discuss the role that weather played in the stories. Once the students have selected a weather phenomenon as a starter, the story map that is provided helps them construct a setting, develop characters and a plot, and decide upon a resolution. Other materials include teaching options and links to other lesson plans and related resources.

Intended for grade levels:

Primary (K-2)

Intermediate (3-5)

Type of resource:

For the classroom:

Classroom activity

Lesson plan

Subject:

Atmospheric science

Natural hazards

Technical requirements:

Adobe Acrobat reader

Cost / Copyright:

No cost

Copyright 1997-2004 Houghton Mifflin Company. All Rights Reserved. You may download, print, and make copies of these pages for use in your classroom, provided that you include the copyright notice on all such copies.

DLESE Catalog ID:DWEL-000-000-000-398

Educational standards:

National Science Education Standards (NSES):

K-4:

G - History and nature of science:

Science as a human endeavor

5-8:

F - Science in personal / social perspectives:

Natural hazards

National Geography Standards:

Places and regions:

The physical and human characteristics of places

The world in spatial terms:

How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information